eBay! first major purchase- gone bad

[Mr. Anderson]

here's the story, finally decide to purchase a helmet (shoei X-11 vermeulen2 TC-5) on ebay, I would have gone through a regular vendor but this helmet is now discontinued and no longer in stock at any of the stores I contacted at least not is a XS.  so I researched the helmet and vendor, great he's got ten in stock in size S. I emailed he and asked if he had any XS, he replied no and that the item was discontinued. I figured, ah well he's got ten in stock according to the link on ebay. so I click purchase and wait. five business days go by and nothing, nada zip. I contact him again via email asking if he shipped my helmet and if not to please refund my money if he really doesn't have any in stock. and he replies, no I don't would you like another helmet.  I replied back no I want a immediate refund. 24 hours go by at this point I set up a dispute with paypal just to be safe and make sure this doesn't get real bad.  12 hours later whammo, all of a sudden he's my friend.  I finally get my money back.(Thank God! I purchased with a credit card and had them on the phone getting ready to dispute the charge when he replied).
okay things are looking up. I check ebay and the helmet is still listed F/S except now he has 13 in stock?!?! WTF!!!
at this point I put a negative response to my non purchase stating "seller sold item not in stock. buyer had to make contact with seller for info."
I then get a email from him stating I was wrong for doing so. he then goes on about I don't know how ebay works..... blah, blah, blah... something about he's got a family and kids.. blah, blah blah.... and tells me he's going to have to pay $30 to get this cleaned up.

here's a link to his page and what I wrote, you can click on the helmet he doesn't have for sale.
if you go to the ebay motobikes store link, he still has this helmet for sale but now has 13?!!! I already submited a fraudulent listing claim to ebay.
zippyflea

was I wrong for posting a negative response? I told the truth and was not slanderous.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

you wanna know the sad part to all this. I bought a $7. DEI 528T timer ciruit and received better service thoughout the purchase(confirmation emails thoughout the process) than I did purchasing a 500 dollar helmet. just sad.

 

[Shanling]

I clicked on your link and the seller ended the auction early because the item was no longer available. Showed that he only had 9 left after one was purchased. You asked him if he had any through email prior to purchasing and he told you "no" and you went ahead and tried to purchase anyway? Wow! And on top of everything else, you gave him negative feedback? Sounds like your just upset because you can't get the helmet you want and he is paying for it. And, he has XL and S sizes and you asked for XS. I don't see where he has any XS's. You asked and I am just telling you what I see here.

 

[Powers739]

I think you did right, it sounds like false advertising...

 

[Mr. Anderson]

shanling, I know I asked. if you go to his ebay store link to see what he has in stock he has the helmet in a size S and XL still listed. am I a little bitter sure. about that helmet no, do I want anyone else that may want this particular helmet to go through what I did, definately not.

 

[Shanling]

(Mr. Anderson @ Mar. 22 2007,12:52) shanling, I know I asked. if you go to his ebay store link to see what he has in stock he has the helmet in a size S and XL still listed. am I a little bitter sure. about that helmet no, do I want anyone else that may want this particular helmet to go through what I did, definately not.

But you asked for an XS and he told you that he didn't have any before you tried to purchase one. That was all I am trying to illustrate. They guy is a business man, if he had it, he would gladly sell it to you. You emailed him and he told you he didn't have it and you tried to buy it anyway. I don't get that?

 

[Mr. Anderson]

edited. item finally removed from ebay, a week later..

shanling, I guess I will see it as he had it listed for sale, on ebay if he didn't have it he shouldn't have had it listed.I asked if he had a XS. he said no, helmet was disco'ed, I thought oh well, I assumed he still had 10 in stock of the size small. maybe it was a communication error on both our part. but I still think he shouldn't have had the link up.

 

[Shanling]

(Mr. Anderson @ Mar. 22 2007,13:04) oka, how about the fact that he is still trying to sell something he know's he doesn't have:

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NIB-Shoei-Moto-Helmet-X-11-X-ELEVEN-VERMEULEN-TC-5-S_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6749QQitem

Z260099893761" target="_blank">a discontinued item is still in stock a week later???</a>

I clicked on your link and it told me that the listing had been removed.

I am only guessing here but I think he has the helmet in small and extra large like he said he does and is trying to blow out his inventory. Read his other feedback. The guy has/had great feedback. I have been trading on eBay for 7 years now and still have 100% positive feedback. I have also watched eBay change from both a buyers and sellers viewpoint. There are many more merchants on there now then before. These are people that are making their family's living by selling goods on eBay. Their feedback rating says a lot so your giving someone a negative is a very powerful thing. I, like you did, always check out the sellers feedback before considering putting a bid on something. Bad feedback and I won't bid period.

 

[HT_USMC]

(Shanling @ Mar. 22 2007,16:58)

(Mr. Anderson @ Mar. 22 2007,12:52) shanling, I know I asked. if you go to his ebay store link to see what he has in stock he has the helmet in a size S and XL still listed. am I a little bitter sure. about that helmet no, do I want anyone else that may want this particular helmet to go through what I did, definately not.

But you asked for an XS and he told you that he didn't have any before you tried to purchase one. That was all I am trying to illustrate. They guy is a business man, if he had it, he would gladly sell it to you. You emailed him and he told you he didn't have it and you tried to buy it anyway. I don't get that?

He didn't ask for a XS. He asked if there were XS available. Since there weren't any available, he ordered the S. That's different than what you're thinking took place.

In addition, the fact that there are now more available for sale is ridiculous. Either the guy has them or he doesn't. He's scamming. There is an extremely slight chance that a new shipment came in between the close of one sale and the post of the next. However, as these are discontinued, that is highly unlikely.

Finally, if he states that he doesn't have the 10th helmet to ship you and you ask for the refund, it should be handled immediately. Not 2 days later. If he had the time to end the auction early and change the quantity from the original 10 to a qty of 9... he should have CONTACTED Mr. Anderson at that time OFFERING a different helmet or a refund.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

oh yeah, I was going to just settle with the small, vice a XS. which is what he had posted. my head is 54 CM so it fits both a S & XS in the x-11.

 

[Shanling]

(HT_USMC @ Mar. 22 2007,13:14)

(Shanling @ Mar. 22 2007,16:58)

(Mr. Anderson @ Mar. 22 2007,12:52) shanling, I know I asked. if you go to his ebay store link to see what he has in stock he has the helmet in a size S and XL still listed. am I a little bitter sure. about that helmet no, do I want anyone else that may want this particular helmet to go through what I did, definately not.

But you asked for an XS and he told you that he didn't have any before you tried to purchase one. That was all I am trying to illustrate. They guy is a business man, if he had it, he would gladly sell it to you. You emailed him and he told you he didn't have it and you tried to buy it anyway. I don't get that?

He didn't ask for a XS.  He asked if there were XS available.  Since there weren't any available, he ordered the S.  That's different than what you're thinking took place.

In addition, the fact that there are now more available for sale is ridiculous.  Either the guy has them or he doesn't.  He's scamming.  There is an extremely slight chance that a new shipment came in between the close of one sale and the post of the next.  However, as these are discontinued, that is highly unlikely.

Finally, if he states that he doesn't have the 10th helmet to ship you and you ask for the refund, it should be handled immediately.  Not 2 days later.  If he had the time to end the auction early and change the quantity from the original 10 to a qty of 9... he should have CONTACTED Mr. Anderson at that time OFFERING a different helmet or a refund.

Ahhhhh...

Thanks for explaining it. I was confused. I thought he asked if there were any XS's, found out there were not and tried to order one anyway!

 

[Mr. Anderson]

so was I wrong posting the negative?

 

[Shanling]

(Mr. Anderson @ Mar. 22 2007,13:26) so was I wrong posting the negative?

Was there a difference in price between the two auctions?

 

[HT_USMC]

(Mr. Anderson @ Mar. 22 2007,17:26) so was I wrong posting the negative?

I would have.

You gave him ample time to contact you after the payment was made. He didn't. Then when you asked for a refund it took even longer... bad scoobies.

Bad customer service on eBay makes people twitch due to the anonymity.

 

[05 Busa LE]

With all that you've gone through (and I'm sorry you have), I'd say you'd have been way ahead of the game if you hired someone from the .Org to paint a helmet exactly as you wanted.

Maybe buy a plain black Shoei, and then hire one of our talented people here who could not only replicate the design, but paint the helmet ... and maybe even customize it for you!

I forget who it was, but there was someone here who was a "master" at creating digitial designs ... and we've got more than a few master painters here as well.

 

[05 Busa LE]

A quick Google search shows that maybe ExtremeSupply.com has the helmet in XS for $624. But I don't know them or their reputation. Maybe you could find out from Shoei if they could locate one for you.

Hope you find one at a good price.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

oh yeah the outcome of all this was that I went back to the regular tried and true and got the norick tc-5 ina xs from The Helmet Shop in florida $498 shipped with a extra dark tint visor for a extra $30.

not the one I wanted, but I think I will grow on me.

 

[SAMBUSA]

This is Ms BBK, I am on ebay everyday w/ 500+ positive feedback. That being said, you did the right thing by leaving negative feedback. Sounds like a scam, there is no process of getting the negative feedback off. So the $30 to clear it up is a load of crap.

You were totally justified by leaving negative feedback

True dat

 

[SAMBUSA]

And he will probably leave you negative feedback. They usually do

 

[Shibumi]

I've had a problem with a seller before about on-hand status. It's one thing to run out of something when you run an online business- but an auction means you are selling something you HAVE, NOT "I'm auctioning off something I MIGHT have for you if you win it". That's total BS and they should get ripped a new one if they do not have it to send to you if you win the auction. I mean, you pay promptly and they send it whenever it's convenient or they get their shid together?!?